Chapter 371: Departure to Doha
by xennovelEarly on Saturday the 9th.
Today, they were heading to Doha…
Xu Chen, along with Huang Hao and Qian Xin, left the dormitory and headed toward the West Garden Cafeteria.
“The Jiang Zhe Little Prince” Qian Xin was driving his red Mazda to the airport, and his classmates Huang Hao and Chen Qiong were hitching a ride.
Xu Chen was driving himself too, taking Nie Fei, Wu Feifei, and Su Rong along.
Qian Xin wore a pair of Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses and carried a Rimowa suitcase, looking quite stylish.
“What kind of car do you drive, Boss Xu? I never see you using it…”
Xu Chen: “It’s always parked at the company building. I don’t need it around campus…”
Qian Xin: “If I’d known you had a car, we’d have planned a weekend road trip!”
…
While the three ate breakfast in the cafeteria, they ran into their classmate Chen Qiong.
She had arranged to ride with Qian Xin and would head straight to the airport from there.
Xu Chen didn’t know Chen Qiong well, so he just nodded in greeting.
Huang Hao and Chen Qiong were both locals from Shanghai and seemed pretty familiar, quickly diving into lively conversation.
But they were speaking in the Shanghai dialect, which Xu Chen couldn’t understand, so he just focused on his meal without joining in.
Qian Xin, being from Zhejiang Province, caught bits of it but didn’t chime in, instead chatting with Xu Chen about random things.
Chen Qiong was a fiery, outgoing girl from Shanghai, and guys like Hong Xiaoqiang in the dorm seemed to go for that type, though he never made a move.
Local girls from Shanghai were tough for out-of-towners to approach—success was rare.
Most guys knew that.
…
Chen Qiong glanced at Xu Chen and said with a smile:
“Is Su Rong riding with you? She’s been out early!”
Xu Chen: “She probably went to the company first. She’s with two other girls.”
Chen Qiong flashed a playful grin:
“Su Rong’s always so aloof. She’s gotten tons of love letters and confessions, but she never engages with anyone.”
Xu Chen looked completely unfazed:
“I’ve got a project at my company that’s collaborating with Su Rong’s family business, so we’ve gotten close lately…
It’s just coincidence.”
Chen Qiong chuckled: “If you say so.”
Qian Xin showed a spark of curiosity:
“What does Su Rong’s family do?
Boss Xu, didn’t you start an ad agency? Are you doing ads for her family?”
Before Xu Chen could answer, Chen Qiong jumped in:
“Su Rong’s family is a big deal…
In our whole department, you won’t find anyone richer than them.”
Qian Xin sucked in a breath.
Huang Hao thought for a moment:
“No wonder she has no interest in Chen Wenyi.”
Qian Xin patted Xu Chen on the shoulder:
“Seize the chance, Boss Xu!
It could save you twenty years of hustle…”
Xu Chen: “…”
…
…
Qian Xin’s red car was parked in the lot behind the West Garden Cafeteria.
As Xu Chen was about to say goodbye, Qian Xin slung an arm around his neck:
“Hop in, Boss Xu! I’ll drop you at the South Gate…
We’re heading the same way, might as well go together!”
Xu Chen: “Sounds good!”
He didn’t hesitate and settled into the passenger seat.
…
Qian Xin fired up the engine and revved it a couple times.
Xu Chen listened to the sound and smiled: “You’ve modded your car, haven’t you?”
Qian Xin, already wearing his sunglasses: “Added a turbocharger—makes it way more fun to drive!”
…
…
…
A few minutes later, the red Mazda pulled up in front of the Tonghai Creative Design Building.
Nie Fei, Wu Feifei, and Su Rong were already waiting together in the parking area.
Xu Chen got out, and Qian Xin, Huang Hao, and Chen Qiong followed suit.
Xu Chen introduced everyone quickly.
Su Rong was in the same class, so greetings were brief.
Nie Fei and Wu Feifei got acquainted with Xu Chen’s three classmates.
“Fei Jie” had that strong, professional vibe that made the trio a bit uneasy.
Wu Feifei, being around the same age and super outgoing, cracked jokes to lighten things up.
Huang Hao and Qian Xin had seen her before and knew she was the one Jiao Tianbo had a crush on…
Three minutes later, Xu Chen pulled his car over and helped load the three women’s luggage.
Qian Xin took a deep breath and circled Xu Chen’s white Grand Cherokee, saying:
“A V8 Grand Cherokee…
Boss Xu, you’re something else!”
Huang Hao thought the car looked big and impressive but didn’t know much about them, so he asked:
“How much does it cost?”
Chen Qiong chimed in:
“The new V8 top model.
Around seventy grand…”
Huang Hao blinked: “Thousand?!”
Qian Xin glanced back at his red Mazda next to the white Grand Cherokee and felt it looked downright modest.
He sighed helplessly, thinking there was no point showing off anymore…
Without a word, he got back in his car and told Huang Hao, who followed:
“Don’t call me Qian Boss anymore…
I can’t live up to that title!”
Huang Hao joked:
“Aw, come on—you’re still the ‘Jiang Zhe Little Prince’!”
Qian Xin looked utterly defeated:
“Prince? Not anymore…
The real deal is Boss Xu…”
Chen Qiong burst out laughing.
Qian Xin thought about the three women in Xu Chen’s car and shook his head:
“Boss Xu, you’re the man!
One bossy executive, one sweet and quiet girl, one bubbly and fun—perfect mix…”
Huang Hao: “?”
Chen Qiong glanced at the Grand Cherokee through the rearview mirror and said:
“What’s Xu Chen’s story anyway?
He seems so low-key, but here he is driving a seventy-grand car like it’s nothing!”
Huang Hao: “All I know is he runs an ad agency.
We figured it was just a side thing, but clearly, it’s making real money!”
Chen Qiong: “A first-year starting a company? His family must be well-off…
Otherwise, where’s the startup cash coming from?”
Qian Xin started his engine but thought better of revving it and pulled back his foot:
“I thought I was a little big shot…
Turns out Boss Xu’s the one keeping it real low-key!”
He gripped the steering wheel:
“My car’s a total junker!”
Huang Hao laughed:
“If you think it’s junk, how about you give it to me?”
…
On the other side, Xu Chen had already started his car.
Wu Feifei and Su Rong climbed into the back seat.
Nie Fei stubbed out her slim cigarette and joined them in the back.
Su Rong felt a twinge of curiosity and glanced at the empty passenger seat up front.
Wu Feifei knew what she was thinking and smiled: “The passenger seat in Boss Xu’s car is reserved for one person only.”
Su Rong paused: “Who?”
Wu Feifei: “Bing Ge…”
Su Rong froze for a second, then drew in a breath, looking like she’d just uncovered a big secret.
She was stunned but quickly lit up with excitement, grabbing Wu Feifei’s arm: “Is that true?”
Wu Feifei grinned: “Of course!”
Su Rong: “That explains everything…”
…
The white Grand Cherokee and the red Mazda left the parking lot one after the other, heading straight for Pudong Airport.
…
…
Whether it was a weekday or weekend, Shanghai traffic was always a mess.
Over an hour later, the two cars finally reached the airport.
They parked in the garage, grabbed their luggage, and made for the elevator hall.
Qian Xin circled back to Xu Chen’s car for another look and said with a grin:
“Boss Xu, when we get back, can I take it for a spin? I’ve never driven a V8 before!”
Xu Chen smiled: “No problem, you can borrow it for a couple days!”
Qian Xin patted the hood, eyes full of envy.
…
International Departure Hall.
Under Huang Hao’s lead, they joined the main group first.
The Tonghai University team of over thirty people made quite the crowd.
The team leader, a sports teacher named Ge Feng, was also Bai Miao’s coach at Tonghai University.
Of course, his role was more nominal— he wasn’t up to coaching national-level athletes yet.
The other leader was the third-year photography class monitor, Zhang Yuchen.
She’d been selected for the cheer squad and was voted captain, helping Ge Feng with organization.
Huang Hao and Chen Qiong, as cheer squad members, checked in with Ge Feng and Zhang Yuchen.
Xu Chen, Su Rong, and Qian Xin also went over to introduce themselves to Ge Feng.
Seeing they were from the same university, Ge Feng said seriously:
“Since you’re all Tonghai students, I’ll keep an eye out for you…
Register with Captain Zhang Yuchen here, and join our group for the Doha itinerary.”
That was Qian Xin’s plan anyway, so he smiled: “Thanks, Teacher Ge!
My flight and hotel are booked with the main group!”
Xu Chen looked a bit troubled— he didn’t have time to stick with the big group.
Su Rong glanced at Xu Chen, unsure what to say.
Xu Chen didn’t respond and turned to Nie Fei instead.
Nie Fei caught on right away and stepped forward with a smile.
She exchanged pleasantries with Ge Feng, handed him her business card, and said:
“Xu Chen and Su Rong are with me, and we have Wu joining us too…
I’ll handle them, so no need to worry.”
Ge Feng, seeing Nie Fei as a capable adult, nodded: “That’s fine!
Here’s my contact info—just reach out if you run into any issues in Doha.”
Nie Fei nodded: “Appreciate it, Teacher Ge!”
…
…
The main group took a short break, and Huang Hao, Qian Xin, and Chen Qiong had just gotten their boarding passes.
Captain Zhang Yuchen did a quick headcount, and they headed toward security together.
…
Xu Chen’s smaller group moved separately, keeping a bit of distance from the main one.
Xu Chen and Nie Fei led the way, with Wu Feifei and Su Rong holding hands and following behind.
In the International Departure Hall, at least a third of the people in the security line looked like foreigners.
The main group’s thirty-plus people were already queued up, buzzing with excitement.
Xu Chen and Nie Fei guided the two young women straight to the fast track.
After all, they had business-class tickets with that perk.
But international security and customs were a hassle, taking extra time.
Once through, Xu Chen checked his phone— plenty of time left.
Glancing back, the main group was still waiting, probably another half-hour at least.
“Let’s wander around or head to the VIP lounge.
Skip food for now—our Qatar Airways business class meals are top-notch, like a five-star hotel!”
Xu Chen said with a smile.
Wu Feifei: “Su Rong and I will go shopping!”
Xu Chen looked at Nie Fei: “We’ll hit the VIP room first. Meet you there or at the gate later!”
…
…
In the VIP lounge.
Nie Fei headed to the smoking area alone.
Xu Chen lounged on a comfy single sofa, sipping soda and watching the TV broadcast.
It was, of course, the ongoing Asian Games.
Currently airing was the women’s 5000-meter race.
Halfway through, an Indian athlete led the pack.
Long-distance races weren’t the most thrilling, but the energetic commentator made it tense and engaging.
A camera cut showed it was CCTV’s famous sports announcer Han Qiaosheng.
There was a web area nearby, so Xu Chen got up and went over.
He was eager about tomorrow’s event for Bing Ge and checked for updates.
Asian Games news flooded the major sites.
The women’s 100-meter hurdles final tomorrow had its own reports and sections.
National Team’s Chen Lan was a gold medal favorite, and with Xie Bingran adding buzz, interest soared.
Sohu’s sports page even had a dedicated section for them.
Besides their bios and news, there was a voting poll.
Xu Chen saw over 600,000 votes— who knew if that was boosted.
…
Xu Chen browsed Tianya and Mop forums and spotted more Xie Bingran fan posts.
Fans calling her “hubby” nonstop made him shake his head.
In Tianya’s sports section, he found the familiar ID “Cang Hai Ri Yue”.
This mysterious user had been a Bing Ge fan for ages.
Since the National Games, Xu Chen had seen several of their posts.
He clicked in— it listed Xie Bingran’s career highlights with photos and posters.
Clearly, “Cang Hai Ri Yue” was a true fan.
…
…
A few minutes later, Wu Feifei and Su Rong walked in.
The two had picked up matching bracelets and were wearing them, looking like best friends having fun.
“Time to board!”
Nie Fei returned and said.
…
At the gate a few minutes later.
A long line had formed, including the thirty-plus from Tonghai University.
The students were buzzing with excitement, many on their first trip abroad.
“How long’s the flight?”
“About eight hours!”
“Wish we’d brought cards…”
“Seats are too tight to play anyway.”
“Eight hours? My legs’ll be numb by the end!”
…
…
Xu Chen, Nie Fei, Wu Feifei, and Su Rong slipped past the crowd and went straight to the gate.
They boarded early…
Huang Hao looked puzzled: “Why don’t they have to wait?”
Qian Xin sighed: “That’s Boss Xu for you…”
Huang Hao: “Huh?”
Chen Qiong pointed to the sign by the gate: “First and business class board first.”
“…”
Qian Xin shook his head: “This is Qatar Airways from Shanghai to Doha…
Boss Xu’s got style!”
Ge Feng, the teacher in charge, paused, then drew in a breath.
…